Legal Definitions - forced labor

Forced labor refers to any work or service that a person is compelled to perform against their will, under the threat of punishment, harm, or other severe consequences. It means an individual has not freely and voluntarily offered themselves for the work, but rather is coerced into it.

• Example 1: Debt Bondage in Agriculture

  A family from a rural village is recruited to work on a large farm in another region, promised good wages. Upon arrival, they are told they owe a significant "recruitment fee" and are charged exorbitant rates for their housing, food, and tools, creating an insurmountable debt. Their employer confiscates their identity documents and threatens to report them to authorities or harm their relatives if they try to leave or refuse to work long hours for little to no pay. They are effectively trapped and forced to continue working to pay off a debt that keeps growing.

  This illustrates forced labor because the family is performing work under the constant threat of severe penalties (harm, reporting to authorities, insurmountable debt) and has not voluntarily chosen to continue working under these conditions. They are coerced into staying and working against their will.

• Example 2: Exploitation in Manufacturing

  Individuals are trafficked into a country and forced to work in a clandestine garment factory. Their movements are restricted, they are housed in overcrowded dormitories, and their wages are withheld or are extremely low. Guards monitor them, and they are subjected to verbal abuse and physical threats if they do not meet production quotas or attempt to escape. They have no means of communication with the outside world and are entirely dependent on their captors.

  This demonstrates forced labor because the workers are compelled to perform tasks in the factory through intimidation, physical threats, and the deprivation of their freedom. They are not working voluntarily and face severe consequences if they resist or try to leave.